LS polls reading list: 15 recommended articles on how the election unfolded

📌 In BJP bastion in UP, no love lost for Opposition but voters flag: ‘Missing vipaksh not healthy’ Liz Mathew reported how there was no apparent dent in support for the BJP in its bastions Meerut and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. But voters flagged concerns about a “missing Opposition”.

📌 Amid CAA talk, citizenship turns sour for lives caught in India-Bangla enclave swap: This ground report by Ravik Bhattacharya and Atri Mitra from Cooch Behar in North Bengal focused on the 15,421 people who became Indians over a period after India and Bangladesh signed a historic land boundary agreement in 2015 covering their respective enclaves lying in each other’s territories.

📌 A 2024 Tamil Nadu story along a highway: Migrant labour, Ukraine war, and a Jharkhand dhaba P Vaidyanathan Iyer travelled in the state’s textile belt, where the traditional business community is opening up to the BJP.

📌 At Army coaching Ground Zero, Agnipath turns business cold, heats up poll campaign: Parul Kulshrestha visited Kuchaman city in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district where academies help students get into the Armed Forces. In its deserted institutes and hostels, she found a reflection of the dwindling charms of an Army job after the Agnipath scheme.

📌 In Coimbatore, amid Annamalai buzz, Dravidian parties say it’s their battle to lose – Arun Janardhanan reported on the contours of the poll battle between Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai and his rivals from the DMK and the AIADMK.

📌 Once upon a time in Gujarat… Behind Rupala’s woes, a Kshatriya longing for past – Gopal Kateshiya and Parimal A Dabhi explained why the Kshatriyas in Gujarat were unhappy with the BJP, especially its Rajkot candidate and Union Minister Parshottam Rupala.

📌 BJP eye on south, data shows rise in PM Modi visits to five states – Harikishan Sharma analysed records available with the PMO to show how, as the BJP made a push to make inroads into the south, the number of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trips to the five southern states saw a

📌 RJD base secure but faces Modi voter challenge: ‘Not just thinking of Bihar but of country’ – Vandita Mishra wrote about how the RJD’s attempt to transcend the limits of the party’s traditional Muslim-Yadav base was wavering even as a Yadav re-consolidation behind the Opposition party was visible. Its biggest challenge appeared to be voters who were thinking of backing Modi, keeping the national picture in mind.

📌 A little reversal: Where labharthis cite Didi, challenge is Modi – and anti-incumbency – West Bengal, Vandita reported how Mamata Banerjee is the long-playing and entrenched establishment, banking to a large extent on her government’s welfare schemes, and the Prime Minister is the challenger.

📌 In Ambedkar’s birthplace, Dalits resent politics over Constitution, Muslims fear quota crossfire – From Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, Anand Mohan J reported on how the heated discourse on Constitution and reservation had reignited Dalit insecurities in the state’s Dhar belt.

📌 Fuelled by Patnaik, schemes, BJD on course as BJP banks on Modi, changes plank to close gap – Liz Mathew and Sujit Bisoyi reported how, with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s popularity remaining high, the BJP was raking up ‘Odia asmita’ and targeting his confidant V K Pandian.

📌 The Punjab question for AAP: Can it meet its own raised bar with zero power bills, mohalla clinics?  – As the AAP looks to achieve an ambitious clean sweep in Punjab, its biggest challenge seems to be meeting the high standards that it set, reported Manraj Grewal Sharma.

📌 In Amethi, Modi factor keeps Smriti Irani afloat, Gandhi hand steadies aide’s boat – In her ground report from Amethi, Maulshree Seth reported on how Union Minister Smriti Irani, the incumbent MP, was facing anti-incumbency. But one thing that turns all BJP candidates almost bulletproof is the Modi factor and that could help her across the finish line.

📌 As PM Modi meditates, Amit Shah, senior BJP leaders hold fort in Varanasi: ‘Koi fight hi nahi hai’ – Meanwhile, in the PM’s Varanasi constituency, the BJP is overwhelmingly confident of a victory, with a local BJP leader telling Bhupendra Pandey, “We are not properly campaigning since there is no fight.”

📌 111 PM speeches: Congress, vikas key themes; ‘4 castes’ find mention, Hindu-Muslim post-April 21  – Anjishnu Das and Sukhmani Malik’s analysis of Modi’s campaign speeches revealed an uptick in comments playing on fears of wealth redistribution and religion-based reservation.